Country music star Toby Keith has left his legacy on several stages following his devastating death.
As tributes poured in for the 62-year-old singer who lost his battle with stomach cancer, fellow country star Darius Rucker dedicated a performance to his longtime friend at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night.
The lead singer of the band Hootie & the Blowfish rocked the Nashville, Tennessee, stage and honored Keith by performing one of his hit songs, “God Love Her.”
COUNTRY SINGER TOBY KEITH DEAD AT 62
Toby Keith, left, honored by Darius Rucker at the Grand Ole Opry. (Getty Images)
Rucker’s performance comes days after he was arrested in Tennessee for a minor drug offense. He was taken into custody last Thursday after turning himself in, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Rucker was charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of a violation of the state’s vehicle registration law.
Darius Rucker dedicated a performance to his longtime friend Toby Keith at the Grand Ole Opry. (Grand Ole Opry/Instagram)
In addition to Rucker’s performance, the Grand Ole Opry honored country legend Keith in another way at their famous venue.
“We held a moment of silence at the start of tonight’s Opry show in honor of @tobykeith. Thank you for all the music, Toby,” read a message shared on X.
Keith’s final performance at the Grand Ole Opry was last September, as he was honored with the Icon Award at the People’s Choice Country Awards.
The “Red Solo Cup” crooner told Fox News Digital at the time that it was “pretty crazy” he was being honored with the award.
“30 years of all the songs I wrote, and they’re flashing by you pretty quick,” Keith said. “30 went by pretty quick … I’m glad they’re recognizing our accomplishment.”
Keith was presented the award at the Grand Ole Opry by his “old friend,” Blake Shelton.
WATCH: TOBY KEITH SAYS HE LEANS ON HIS FAITH DURING TOUGH TIMES
Prior to the award show kicking off, Keith told Fox News Digital that he is doing “all right” and has leaned on his faith to help get himself through the hard times.
“I lean on my faith and I just pray and lean into it,” Keith said. “You gotta do what you gotta do, and I don’t know how people do it without faith … that’s what I did, it was my rock.”
TOBY KEITH’S FAITH WAS HIS ‘ROCK’ FOLLOWING STOMACH CANCER DIAGNOSIS: ‘I JUST PRAY’
The country music icon’s final concert was two months before his death.
He performed on Dec. 14 at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, as he sang his most popular hits including, “Beer for My Horses” and “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”
Keith shared on Instagram highlights of his final performances as the theater seats were filled to maximum capacity with his loyal fans.
“3 sold out shows in Vegas was a damn good way to end the year.”
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The “Red Solo Cup” singer lost his battle with stomach cancer at the age of 62. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images for ACM)
In one of Keith’s last interviews before his death, he detailed his stomach cancer journey as he fought a long and difficult battle.
“It’s a lot of dark hallways,” Keith told News9, Oklahoma’s local station, just weeks before his death.
“Cancer is a roller coaster, so it’s like, you just sit here and wait on it to go away, and it may not ever go away,” he added. “If it goes into remission, it will still be in the back of your mind.”
The Oklahoma native continued to say, “I was going through all the chemo, radiation, surgery, and I got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened. I had my brain wrapped around it, and I was in a good spot either way.”
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Keith revealed in June 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer.
After his death, his family shared a statement on his website and social media accounts early Tuesday.
“Toby Keith passed away peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the statement read.
“He fought his fight with grace and courage,” it continued. “Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
Throughout his career, Keith was recognized for his vocals, songwriting and live performances.
In 2001, Keith won the male vocalist of the year and album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. He would go on to win entertainer of the year in 2003 and 2004, also winning top male vocalist and album of the year for “Shock ’n Y’all” the latter year.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015. Keith released his final album, “Peso in My Pocket,” in 2021.
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Keith is survived by his wife, Tricia, three children and four grandchildren.
